Howard delivers tribute to war dead

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The world of 1918 would be unrecognisable to modern Australians
but the qualities of Australians remained the same, Prime Minister
John Howard said today.

Mr Howard delivered a tribute to the country's fallen soldiers
during a rain-soaked Remembrance Day ceremony at the Australian War
Memorial in Canberra.

"The world of 2004, in every respect, is a world very different
from the world of that first Armistice Day," Mr Howard told the
crowd of about 1,000 people.

"But what has not changed are the qualities of sacrifice and
patriotism and independence of spirit that during that period of
time characterised the behaviour of more than 100,000 Australians
who, in different theatres of war, have given their lives for the
defence and liberty of our nation."

Mr Howard said that on Armistice Day 2004, young Australians
were remembering a wonderful Australian saga of military
sacrifice.

He and Governor-General Michael Jeffery braved the rain to mark
Remembrance Day in a sombre ceremony at the 11th hour of the 11th
day of the 11th month before laying wreaths at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier.

Opposition Leader Mark Latham marked a minute's silence in
Brisbane.

Australian Democrats deputy leader Andrew Bartlett used the day,
the 86th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, to
call for an end to hostilities in Iraq.

Senator Bartlett said while the Democrats did not support the
war in Iraq, they supported the Australian servicemen and women who
continued to face danger there every day.

"We hope that an armistice in Iraq is not far away and that free
elections in January will bring about cessation of war and the safe
return of Australian service personnel," Senator Bartlett said in a
statement.